Management & Leadership News

What we really need for digital transformation: Four strategic imperatives

The omnipresence of big data and advent of emerging digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, internet-of things (IoT), and robotics, are projected to have far-reaching effects on business. Due to these new technologies, competition is changing dramatically...

[Translate to English:] vier zentrale Strategien für Digitalisierung

The omnipresence of big data and advent of emerging digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, internet-of things (IoT), and robotics, are projected to have far-reaching effects on business. Due to these new technologies, competition is changing dramatically. Not only has it become more global, the intensity has also increased as big, information-rich firms like Alibaba, Booking.com, Amazon,  etc. start to dominate the market. Market boundaries blur, agent roles changes, customers become co-producers, competitors become collaborators and firms vertically integrate or bypass existing parties. To respond to these major challenges, many firms introduced new digital technologies and optimized existing business processes. However, the mere digitalization is not enough to cope with these fundamental challenges. Only a digital transformation rearranges processes and business logic to create more value.

Managerial guidance for such a digital transformation is imperative. Managers must therefore increase their understanding of how their organizations can gain a sustainable competitive advantage by building on specific resources, which strategies they should adopt to win, and how the firm’s internal organization structure must change to support these strategies.

A digital transformation is multidisciplinary by nature. It involves changes in strategy, organization, information technology, supply chains and marketing. Four strategic imperatives are required for a successful transformation:

  1. Digital resources comprising digital assets, digital agility, digital networking capabilities and big data analytic capabilities.
  2. Organization structures that allow to develop new and often disruptive business models in autonomous business units that are separated from the headquarters
  3. A growth strategy, that involves the use of digital platforms and
  4. metrics and goals, e.g. measures of online sentiment and engagement as well as network co-creation and value sharing.

Digital transformation has broad organizational implications in which the core business model of the firm changes. Join our MBA of Digital Transformation and Change Management with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Filzmoser and learn how to respond to these challenges in the age of digitalization.

Key Points

Final Degree: Executive Master of Business Administration in Management and Technology / Digital Transformation and Change Management

Next program start: October 2023

ECTS credits: 92

Duration: 3 semesters + master's thesis

Format: Part-time, blocked in modules

Language: German (with optional English modules)

Tuition Fee: EUR 22,900 plus EUR 1,990 registration and administration fee (VAT-free, excluding travel and accommodation expenses)

Admission Requirements: first academic degree*, at least 3 years of professional experience*, personal interview

Locations: Vienna University of Technology, seminar hotels in the Vienna area

Academic Director: Assoc. Professor Michael Filzmoser, PhD

Program Manager: Mag. Vanessa Racz, Senior Program Manager, mba@tuwien.ac.at

Michael Filzmoser holds an MSc in International Business Administration (2005) and a PhD in Management (2009) from the University of Vienna. Since 2018, Michael Filzmoser has been an associate professor at the Institute for Management Sciences at the TU Vienna, Vice Dean for Academic Affairs (since 2015) and Curricular Coordinator for (2005).